Anark, a special guest, joins the Wrong Boys to discuss building prefigurative institutions, the importance of aligning means and ends, the power of experiential knowledge, the concept of revolutionary prefiguration, the role of councils and consensus processes, the focus of Cooperation Jackson on communalism and prefiguration, challenges of building alternative systems, intelligence organizations and decentralization of power, the application of prefiguration in creating horizontal societies, political activism and materialism.
Prefiguration involves actively building a new society by creating institutions, spaces, and cultures that embody desired values.
Constructing democratic structures, such as councils, is essential for prefiguration, allowing individuals a direct say in decision-making.
Prefigurative movements must anticipate external resistance and backlash while guarding against the emergence of subtle hierarchies within their organizations.
Prefigurative economics focuses on de-commodifying and democratizing resources through initiatives like cooperatives and gift economies, integrated with democratic governance.
Engaging in prefiguration involves actively creating and demonstrating alternatives, raising consciousness, building dual power, and establishing tangible benefits for communities.
Deep dives
Importance of Prefiguring Social Change
Prefiguring social change involves actively building a new society in the present. It is not enough to desire change; one must use adequate means to secure it. Prefiguration aims to create institutions, spaces, and cultures that embody the values of the desired society. This process challenges the existing hierarchical systems and offers alternatives that prioritize autonomy and dignity. However, it is crucial to consider the external pressures and potential backlash that may arise from the current power structures. By anticipating and addressing these challenges, prefigurative movements can effectively work towards their goals while protecting and sustaining their initiatives.
Building the New in the Shell of the Old
Prefiguration involves constructing the new society within the existing one. This process requires actively creating democratic structures, such as councils, that provide individuals with a direct say in decision-making. These councils serve as the connection between the democratic will of the people and the various aspects of society, including economics, defense, and intelligence. Additionally, prefiguration emphasizes the importance of economic de-commodification by establishing cooperative models and community-based initiatives. By joining these economic endeavors with democratic structures, prefigurative movements can foster autonomy, dignity, and the provision of essential needs.
Navigating External Pressures and Internal Challenges
Prefiguration faces both external pressures and internal challenges. Externally, prefigurative movements may encounter resistance from the existing power structures and face potential backlash. It is necessary to anticipate this and develop measures for self-defense while maintaining a non-aggressive stance and prioritizing diplomacy and cooperation. Internally, prefigurative movements must guard against the emergence of subtle hierarchies within their organizations. The corrective lies in spreading self-defense knowledge throughout the community and ensuring that military and defense structures remain under the control of the democratic councils. It is essential to focus on building social and economic relations, prioritizing openness, cooperation, and addressing societal needs to engage wider participation and empower individuals.
The Significance of Prefigurative Economics and Direct Democracy
Prefigurative economics aims to create economic models that align with the values of the desired future society. This includes gift economies, mutual aid distribution, cooperatives, and other initiatives that de-commodify and democratize resources. These economic endeavors should be integrated with the democratic councils, establishing cooperative relationships and ensuring accountability. The focus should be on providing essential needs, fostering food sovereignty, housing initiatives, education, and other forms of social support. The parallel emphasis on direct democracy through councils ensures that decision-making power remains in the hands of the people, strengthening the connection between economic initiatives and democratic governance.
Building a Prefigurative Society: Lessons from Failed Revolutions
In this podcast episode, the speakers discuss the concept of prefiguration and how it relates to building a better society. They emphasize the importance of not just opposing existing systems, but also actively creating and demonstrating alternatives. Prefiguration involves creating democratic structures, economic mutual aid institutions, and communal resource pooling agreements. By showing people a better world and providing tangible solutions to societal problems, prefiguration gives individuals something worth defending. The podcast also explores challenges such as sabotage, legal maneuvers, and the delicate balance between fostering self-defense and avoiding hierarchical power structures. The conversation delves into examples of prefigurative projects like the Zapatistas in Mexico and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava). The speakers stress the need for ongoing discussion and exploration to navigate the tension between the necessity of intelligence and the dangers of creating shadow governmental structures.
Taking the First Steps: Prefiguration in Action
In this podcast episode, the speakers discuss practical ways to engage in prefiguration in the short term. They advise starting with educational initiatives and popular education campaigns to raise consciousness and spread radical ideas. Reading groups and teach-ins can help introduce others to anarchist principles. Once a radical consciousness is present, the focus shifts to building dual power through the creation of consensus democracy within organizations. Identifying and addressing the primary vectors of oppression in the local area is crucial. This includes establishing economic alternatives, such as cooperatives, and organizing actions to resist specific forms of exploitation or injustice. The episode highlights the importance of demonstrating that prefigurative projects benefit the community and meet their immediate needs. By showing the practicality and efficacy of alternative systems, individuals can be persuaded to embrace radical ideas and be part of the transformative process.
Lessons in Prefiguration and the Pitch for Mass Appeal
This podcast episode explores the importance of building a pitch for mass appeal and making connections with individuals who may not already be part of radical movements. The speakers emphasize the need to demonstrate that prefigurative projects offer tangible benefits to people's lives. This can involve addressing specific issues within communities, such as food deserts, through initiatives like community gardens or cooperative grocery stores. Building projects that provide real solutions and showing genuine care for community members' concerns can help gain trust and support. Once a level of buy-in is achieved, the episode suggests starting reading groups or discussion circles to introduce people to radical ideas. The process of radicalization can then begin, as individuals see the connection between their own experiences and the principles underlying the prefigurative projects.
Creating Democratic Structures: Examples of Rojava and Zapatistas
The podcast episode explores the importance of creating democratic structures and highlights two examples: Rojava and the Zapatistas. Rojava is a wide-scale project with around six million people in their polity, aiming to create a horizontal society through a confederation of autonomous council structures. The challenges faced include delegation and maintaining power within the council structures. The Zapatistas also exemplify creating a horizontal society, focusing on communalism and social ecological ideas. Both examples demonstrate the need for committed ideological organizers who prioritize subverting power and transitioning to democratic structures rather than a vanguardist approach.
Authoritarianism versus Anti-Authoritarianism: Monopolization of Power
The podcast delves into the distinction between authoritarianism and anti-authoritarianism. Authoritarianism involves the monopolization of power, centralizing decision-making, and disempowering the masses. The greater the centralization of power, the more authoritarian a structure becomes. Conversely, anti-authoritarianism decentralizes power, returning power to the people and challenging hierarchies of knowledge and violence. The importance of creating consensus-based processes, internal democratic structures, and subverting power to democratic institutions is emphasized. The discussion highlights the concept of specifism as an alternative to vanguardism, where small ideological catalyst groups work to dissolve their own power and act as models for broader democratic structures.
This episode is a deep dive into what it means to build prefigurative institutions that can help us actualize the transition to a better society. Special guest Anark and the Wrong Boys explore how our organizations should be structured, the pitfalls we might face, and the difficult questions that might come along the way.
Correction: A previous version of this episode included the statement that Emiliano Zapatawas a committed anarchist. Zapata was was influenced by Ricardo Flores Magón and the Magonistas, who were anarchists, but was not an anarchist himself.
